Stratford, CT Cost of Living

Stratford cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.

An overview of the general cost of living index for Stratford, CT is displayed above for your reference. Residents in Stratford, CT enjoy a cost of living index of 119. This index is 1% lower than the Connecticut average, and 19% higher than the national average. The following categories are used when determining the cost of living index for any given city: health care (5%), transportation (9%), utilities (10%), groceries (13%), housing (30%), and goods/services (33%). Clearly, housing and goods/services make up the majority of the formula for calculating the cost of living index. Because of this, the general cost of living for any given area can be estimated by looking at the cost of everyday goods in that area. For those living in Stratford, CT, the average cost of goods and services is 1% higher than it is in Connecticut, and it is 21% higher than the national average.

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How would you rate the cost of living in Stratford?Excellent. Goods, services and housing are all very affordable.Good. Most goods and services are affordable.Poor. Everything is more expensive than I'd like.Awful. You'll have to take out a loan to live here.View resultsWrite a review to give others more information about this area.Is the cost of living increasing or decreasing in Stratford?Decreasing rapidly. Costs are dropping at a rapid rate.Decreasing steadily. Costs of goods and services are declining.Increasing steadily. Price are inreasing, but at a reasonable rate.Increasing rapidly. I can barely keep up with the increasing prices.View resultsWrite a review to give others more information about this area.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Stratford is 1% lower than the Connecticut average.

The cost of living in Stratford is 19% higher than the national average.

The cost of housing in Stratford is 33% higher than the national average.

Connecticut general sales tax is 25% higher than the national average.

Compare Stratford, CT Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

I currently make 50,000This is how much you would need to earn in Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index

Goods & Services index

Groceries index

Health care index

Housing index

Transportation index

Utilities index

Use the salary calculator to compare your current income in Stratford, CT to any other city in the country. The calculator will tell you how much income you would need to make in a particular city to live at the same level based on the cost of living in each city. For example, if the cost of living in the city you are looking to move to is higher than that of Stratford, CT, then you would need to earn a higher salary in order to enjoy the same standard of living. To use the Stratford, CT salary calculator, enter the name of the new city, then move the slider to your current salary level. The salary calculator will do the rest and let you know if your salary would need to increase or decrease for the new city. You will also see a complete overview of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income

Per Year

Per Month

Max Budget (28% DTI)

Max Budget (36% DTI)

Owners

$80,201

$6,683

$1,871

$2,406

Renters

$35,380

$2,948

$825

$1,062

A good way to judge both the affordability of the housing and the cost of living is by simply calculating the maximum that a person should spend on housing in Stratford, CT, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The safest way to live in the city is to avoid spending more than 28 percent of the gross income that one earns on costs that pertain to housing and no more than 36 percent on all expenses and debts. Stratford, CT has a median income of about $80,201 for people who own homes. Based on that number, a person should spend a maximum of $1,871 on expenses related to housing. Renters have a slightly different median income, which is $35,380. Based on this average, renters should spend no more than $825 on all of their rental costs if they want to maintain a non-impoverished standard of living.

Connecticut Sales Tax

State

General Sales Tax

With Max Surtax

Connecticut

6.35%

6.35%

Connecticut Income Tax

State

Income Tax (Low)

Income Tax (High)

Connecticut

3%

6.99%

When assessing the complete cost of living in Stratford, CT, the Connecticut income tax and the Connecticut sales tax percentages should unquestionably be taken into consideration. Sales taxes aren't just levies imposed onto sold goods, but they also include taxes that are charged when services are provided for a fee. The rates are different from state to state and can run has high as 7 percent. Some states have no sales tax at all. The Connecticut maximum surtax is 6.35%, and the Connecticut sales tax is 6.35%. By contrast, income tax is an unfortunate obligation that is charged by the government against earnings. Just like sales taxes, the rates for income taxes differ from state to state. They also decrease or increase according to the individual's tax bracket. Tax rates can run as high as 9 percent, with a minimum of zero. Income tax rates range from 3% to 6.99% in Connecticut.

Goods & Services

Item

Stratford

National avg.

Difference

Haircut

$19.99

$16.09

24.3%

Beauty Salon

$55.01

$37.33

47.4%

Toothpaste

$1.98

$2.45

19.3%

Shampoo

$0.91

$1.00

9.2%

Movie

$11.97

$10.28

16.4%

Bowling

$7.26

$4.93

47.2%

Groceries

Item

Stratford

National avg.

Difference

Ground Beef

$3.85

$3.80

1.1%

Fried Chicken

$1.55

$1.40

10.8%

Milk

$2.07

$2.01

2.9%

Potatoes

$3.93

$3.01

30.6%

Pizza

$10.96

$9.89

10.8%

Beer

$9.96

$8.90

12.0%

Health Care

Item

Stratford

National avg.

Difference

Optometrist

$119.32

$102.16

16.8%

Doctor

$130.03

$108.36

20.0%

Dentist

$114.44

$92.53

23.7%

Ibuprofen

$8.30

$9.28

10.5%

Lipitor

$422.42

$425.82

0.8%

Housing

Item

Stratford

National avg.

Difference

Home Price

$249,600.00

$184,700.00

35.1%

Avg. Mortgage Payment

$1,420.90

$1,202.44

18.2%

Apartment Rent

$1,229.00

$949.00

29.5%

Transportation

Item

Stratford

National avg.

Difference

Gasoline

$2.38

$2.24

6.2%

Tire Balancing

$49.88

$46.29

7.7%

Utilities

Item

Stratford

National avg.

Difference

All Electricity

$197.95

$165.96

19.3%

Phone

$23.90

$28.68

16.7%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.